1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a flat, panel-type display device, and in particular to an invention of a display device capable of narrowing the so-called frame, which is the non-display area at the periphery of a display unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been provided a display device that forms screens of text, images or video pictures by arranging a plurality of display elements and controlling the status of the respective display elements. An example of this would be an electro-optic device such as a liquid crystal display device or an organic EL display device. With this kind of display device, deterioration of components is prevented by hermetically sealing a substrate and another substrate, or a substrate and a sealing member.
For instance, with an organic EL display device, the peripheral gas infiltrating within the device influences the life duration of the organic EL light emitting element. In particular, moisture (water vapor) and oxygen deteriorate metal electrodes, and complicate the prolonged operation of the light emitting element. Thus, a substrate having formed thereon an array of the organic EL display element is sealed with the likes of a metal can, waterproof plastic package or protective film to acquire gas barrier property against water vapor and oxygen.
Nevertheless, when forming the likes of a sealing metal can or sealing protective film on a display element substrate with display elements formed thereon, space is required for connecting the sealing metal can or sealing protective film to the display element substrate. Moreover, in order to secure the foregoing gas barrier property, a prescribed amount of connection width (connection space) also becomes necessary. Since the sealing of the display element substrate is conducted at the periphery of this substrate, a so-called frame that is not utilized as a display area arises at such periphery. This complicates the miniaturization and unrestricted design of devices such as portable telephone devices and portable information devices mounted with a display device.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a display device capable of narrowing the area of the frame.
Moreover, another object of the present invention is to provide a display device in which the gas barrier property does not deteriorate even upon narrowing the area of the frame.